23andMe is helping collaborators better understand disease biology, identify novel targets, boost clinical trial success, and engage people in their care
SUNNYVALE, Calif. and LONDON, Jan. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 23andMe Holding Co. (Nasdaq: ME), a leading human genetics company, today announced the launch of Discover23®, a new research offering enabling authorized collaborators to securely access the power and diversity of the 23andMe research cohort through a Trusted Research Environment (TRE) developed by Lifebit, a technology company trusted by some of the world’s leading biomedical research organizations and governments.
Discover23 provides analysis-ready genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted
on 1000+ disease and condition cohorts curated from 4.7B phenotypic data points by 23andMe’s expert scientists. Biopharma collaborators will be able to access summarized results of analyses conducted using data stripped of personal identifiers within 23andMe’s TRE, where authorized researchers are provided with highly secure, isolated workspaces to leverage 23andMe research findings while ensuring the protection of participant privacy.Discover23 evaluates associations of over 172 million genetic variants across billions of phenotypic data points provided by consenting 23andMe research participants. Approximately 84 percent of the Company’s 15 million customers have opted in to participate in 23andMe’s Research program. Partners can use Discover23 to help identify novel disease biology, discover potential new drug targets, and add genetic evidence into research programs to boost clinical success.
“We are excited to empower experts at the frontier of biomedical research with access to insights and expertise with Discover23,” said Anne Wojcicki, CEO and Co-Founder of 23andMe. “We believe that giving external research partners access to these insights will have the potential to bring new and more effective treatments to the world.”
“At Lifebit, we share 23andMe’s commitment to empower researchers with the tools to drive innovative discoveries in drug development and precision medicine,” said Dr. Maria Dunford, CEO of Lifebit. “We recognize that healthcare data is highly sensitive. We are proud to partner with 23andMe to provide a secure, federated platform that allows researchers to analyze data where it resides, enhancing security, reducing risk, and supporting collaborative research in a controlled environment.”
For partners interested in previewing the breadth and depth of 23andMe’s analytical offerings, including Discover23, contact bd@23andMe.com. The 23andMe and Lifebit teams will be attending the JPM Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, January 13-16, 2025. Learn more about Discover23 and other partner solutions at https://partner.23andme.com.
Protecting Participant Privacy
23andMe has built strong privacy protections to enable its customers to be in control of their data. All customers have the option to consent to participate in the 23andMe Research program, which is overseen by a third party Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure research being conducted meets the highest ethical standards. Only data from customers who consent to participate in research is used for 23andMe Research, and for those that choose to opt-in, their information is stripped of personal identifiers for research activities, meaning participants’ personal identifiers such as name and contact details are stripped from their genetic and self-reported information, with the two sets of data stored separately. If a customer originally opted-in to participate in 23andMe’s Research program, they can easily withdraw at any time within their account settings.
About 23andMe
23andMe is a genetics-led consumer healthcare company empowering a healthier future. For more information, please visit investors.23andme.com.
About Lifebit
Lifebit is a global leader in genomics and health data and software, empowering organizations across the world to transform how they securely and safely leverage sensitive biomedical data. Lifebit is solving the most challenging problems in precision medicine, genomics and healthcare with a mission to create a world where access to biomedical data will never again be an obstacle to preventing and curing diseases. Learn more about Lifebit’s TRE here. www.lifebit.ai @lifebitAI
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